Stick or twist?

[Mason-]

Hi all, after a bit of advice.

At the moment I drive somewhere between 20-25k miles a year. I’m living at home, and the main aim of that is to save for a house.

Currently I am commuting 70-90 minutes each way a day in a 1.4 petrol Alfa mito. The trip says I get ~42mpg and I’ve found it to be reasonably accurate.

I bought my car 2 years ago for £5k @33k miles, it has 55k on the clock now. It hasn’t missed a beat, only tyres/brakes and I service it on time. I reckon I might be able to get £3k for it now. It’s been a great car but there are some things I dislike: no aux/USB, it’s crashy on rough roads, and the fuel tank is infuratiangly small. Insurance renewal is coming up next month so I’m considering getting a diesel.

My commute is two options... motorway and dual carriageway A-roads which will be 25k miles a year, also 10 minutes faster each way. 55 miles each way.
Or what I do now which is minor a roads, going from 60mph to 30mph regularly as the roads go through a lot of villages. 10 miles less each way. But takes 10 minutes longer each way. 45 miles each way.

If I get another car I’d want a diesel wouldn’t really want to spend too much on it because I’ll be racking up big miles. I want it to be comfy, good genuine mpg, and with a reasonably large fuel tank (this is the least important). I’m apprehensive because I know my car has been solid so far.

Also leasing, I think it’s pretty much a no go doing big miles? Happy to be proven wrong.

Also sorry if the formatting is bad, written on my phone.

Budget wise it’s pretty limitless... I could afford a £15k 3 series which would be lovely, but my aim is to save money for a house. I’d want to spend around 5-6k, willing to go a bit higher if it’s worth it.

 

[BlackMaster]

I also do a lot of miles to work and back. If you want to reduce your running costs, then a hybrid or PHEV would most likely yield better savings. If you are able to sit on cruise control on the motorway for the majority of time without changing speed (in rush hour pretty unlikely), then the a diesel may be the better option. When I drive my hybrid in traffic and through villages, my MPG actually goes up, not down.

For the miles you do, buying outright would be the best option. I bought my car with 8,000 miles on the clock and now has 136,000 miles. Even though my car is from 2008 and petrol hybrid, I get 55 MPG in winter and 65 MPG in summer, so averages out about 60 MPG. Modern hybrids and PHEV’s will have much higher MPG’s, but will cost more to buy of course.

Not a diesel person myself, I freely admit. I’ll let other advise on them

 

[GinG]

Is your current car paid for?

I'm struggling to find any reason why you would buy a car if you are wanting to purchase a house? Stick with the car for now until you have the house and then buy a car?

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Numbers dont add up
20-25k per year, purchase mileage 33k miles should means its on 70-80 or so by now yet your saying 55k, which is roughly 11k per annum
Which is it?

Your commute sounds similar to mine, lots of unrestricted and also restricted. I switched from a petrol to a diesel and was disappointed with the economy vs the listed economy. I think diesel is better for motorway type commutes, petrol moved on a lot on economy.

I have the option to do a longer commute same as you and use motorway. I use it occasionally, i get better MPG and its a little quicker, but it costs about the same all in in fuel and racks up a lot more miles on the car. Its easier and more difficult at the same time.
I lose the twisty roads, blind corners etc, but also the views. When I do the motorway I get the idiotic drivers, its literally impossible to stick to roughly the speed limit, if your trying to do around 75 indicated some utter idjit will be up your arse thinking you should be elsewhere because he wants to do 80+. If you move over you get blocked and struggle to keep close to the speed limit. After a few days I go back to the lanes, more fun and far far less idjits about.

 

[Hater]

If you're saving for a house, getting a new car if the current one is fine, is dumb - Unless you're trading down to a £500 Micra or something.

Your complaints are dumb.

Other than a motorbike, the cheapest way to do this is to stick with what you've got.
Shove a £40 aftermarket headunit in it if you want AUX.

Just sounds like you want a new car for the sake of buying a new car, which is fine and all, but you'll never move out of home with that kind of attitude.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

If you're saving for a house, getting a new car if the current one is fine, is dumb - Unless you're trading down to a £500 Micra or something.

Other than a motorbike, the cheapest way to do this is to stick with what you've got.

"No AUX/USB" "crashy on rough roads" "Fuel tank too small" - Stop being a wuss. Shove a £40 aftermarket headunit in it if you want AUX.

You dont even need to go that far, you can get little plug in dongle type things that broadcast instead of to headphones to an FM frequency, so you tune your car radio to your own ipod/iphone/whatever
Although this means no controls directly of course

 

[MissChief]

You'd be crazy to spend money to save money! Stick imo. 42mpg is decent and even if you get 50mpg the savings are likely to only be a few pounds a month meaning it will take many many years to recoup what you paid for your diesel, assuming it doesn't go wrong!

 

[Hater]

Those FM modulators are dire. Should be a way to solder an input directly to the tape or CD input though I agree there are easier ways.

 

[Mason-]

Numbers dont add up
20-25k per year, purchase mileage 33k miles should means its on 70-80 or so by now yet your saying 55k, which is roughly 11k per annum
Which is it?

Your commute sounds similar to mine, lots of unrestricted and also restricted. I switched from a petrol to a diesel and was disappointed with the economy vs the listed economy. I think diesel is better for motorway type commutes, petrol moved on a lot on economy.

I have the option to do a longer commute same as you and use motorway. I use it occasionally, i get better MPG and its a little quicker, but it costs about the same all in in fuel and racks up a lot more miles on the car. Its easier and more difficult at the same time.
I lose the twisty roads, blind corners etc, but also the views. When I do the motorway I get the idiotic drivers, its literally impossible to stick to roughly the speed limit, if your trying to do around 75 indicated some utter idjit will be up your arse thinking you should be elsewhere because he wants to do 80+. If you move over you get blocked and struggle to keep close to the speed limit. After a few days I go back to the lanes, more fun and far far less idjits about.

I’ve only recently started doing so many miles. First 18 months of ownership were low mileage.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Ah ok, makes sense now

So your in theory above the cut off point of diesel vs petrol, but not by much
As said above thats pretty good MPG for a petrol.
If it was me, I would run the car for a couple of years if its fine for you, buying any second hand car is a risk.
Review again when its on 80k or so, hows it working out, if fine then maybe another year. The same decision, once its around 120k or so then I would say bye bye.

So much can change over than time, you may move jobs again, or buy closer to where you work etc etc

You will have taken a lot of the hit in value by now, running for 2-4 years from now can see you having very cheap motoring if you can stretch it that long, modern petrol will do the mileage, that sort of journey you giving it nice runs and also not excessive speed so not working it hard, as long as you don't floor it out of every village etc.

 

[Mason-]

Mmm, over winter I think I'm going to start going down the motorway/dual carriageway route. Just because the roads probably won't be great.

I think it's wisest to stick with what I have, mainly for a 'better the devil you know' reason. I won't be moving out soon as I started my job 4 weeks ago, and the pay/prospects are pretty good. I don't plan on moving anytime soon.

That's my commute options. Bare in mind the times are 'ideal', in reality at commuting times add about 10 minutes to both.

My car is not the comfiest thing but it's not bad.

 

[Mason-]

If you're saving for a house, getting a new car if the current one is fine, is dumb - Unless you're trading down to a £500 Micra or something.

Your complaints are dumb.

Other than a motorbike, the cheapest way to do this is to stick with what you've got.
Shove a £40 aftermarket headunit in it if you want AUX.

Just sounds like you want a new car for the sake of buying a new car, which is fine and all, but you'll never move out of home with that kind of attitude.

I was after some advice. Not sold on getting a car for definite. Your name is pretty close to your post.

Wanting to spend 3 hours of my day in a comfier place is not a dumb complaint.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Mmm, over winter I think I'm going to start going down the motorway/dual carriageway route. Just because the roads probably won't be great.

I think it's wisest to stick with what I have, mainly for a 'better the devil you know' reason. I won't be moving out soon as I started my job 4 weeks ago, and the pay/prospects are pretty good. I don't plan on moving anytime soon.

That's my commute options. Bare in mind the times are 'ideal', in reality at commuting times add about 10 minutes to both.

My car is not the comfiest thing but it's not bad.

Oh your quite close to me, I am just off the top of your map and work roughly in the middle of it! Most of my route is on roads not even listed as A roads unless I end up om the A11

Agree thats a tricky choice and I would say correct decision. Do the A120 (although thats horribad road imho) during winter and do the other route during the summer imo. (I would pretty much stick with the daylight saving hours dictating which route)

Only other option may be to go A120 to just past Braintree, then up via Bardfield and Finichingfield, pick up the ring by Haverhill and across the route you show, or do the slightly more westerley direction and again via those villages and then NW to come into Linton.

You may find that your actual time taken is worse on the A120 and M/A11 though as they tend to be terrible, where as that cross country route will be fairly light traffic in comparison. The Haverhill to Cambs bit is busy during commuter time in both directs you would travel but tends to flow fairly consistently.

 

[Hater]

I was after some advice. Not sold on getting a car for definite. Your name is pretty close to your post.

Wanting to spend 3 hours of my day in a comfier place is not a dumb complaint.

It's an incredibly dumb complaint, you still live at home and are complaining because a car that isn't even 10 years old is too "uncomfortable" for your precious little self.

 

[mjt]

What cars are we even talking about here?

 

[TacticalFish]

it has 55k on the clock now. It hasn’t missed a beat, only tyres/brakes and I service it on time. I reckon I might be able to get £3k for it now.

I was about to say I'd bite your hand off for it, however just checked AT and that's about right, quite shocked at how cheap these are for the mileage/ age. Bought my 56 Civic for only a bit less than that with 60k.

You commute pretty much the opposite way to me too OP, I'm north Cambridge to Little Chesterford. Funnily enough I was also asking myself recently if a diesel would have been a better idea than 1.8 petrol. I don't think the saving would be much for me (A14 then A11).

 

[Rroff]

That's my commute options. Bare in mind the times are 'ideal', in reality at commuting times add about 10 minutes to both.

Any time I've been near Braintree it has been quite congested - not that I've been through more than 3-4x - was at Castle Hedingham for a wedding almost a year ago - can't say I'd want to do that route either regularly though I've seen far worse.

 

[Mason-]

It's an incredibly dumb complaint, you still live at home and are complaining because a car that isn't even 10 years old is too "uncomfortable" for your precious little self.

One of the cultural pressures I hate in this country is “you still live at home” being a bad thing. I earn more than enough money to live on my own and I have for the last 2 years previously. However if I can live at home and save money rather than paying rent to someone who already owns more than 1 home. I’m going to do it. And I’m not going to feel like it’s a bad thing for doing it. House prices are insane. My dad could afford a house deposit with 6 months of his net salary at my age in an unskilled job. He had 0 qualifications. And his job was 5 minutes down the road. I am highly educated, earn a lot more than the majority of people my age (and people in the age range above) and it would take around 15 months of my net salary to begin to get a deposit on a reasonable house in this area.

So, back to you saying I STILL live at home like that’s deplorable. You’re damn right I am because I’m not going to ***** away a large portion of my take home to someone who already has at least 2 properties. And taking an extra month or two of saving to toy with the idea of driving a more comfortable car for the 3 hours a day I will be spending in it for probably 2 years.

But yeah that’s a completely dumb idea.

/rant

 

[Mason-]

What cars are we even talking about here?

My dads got a last gen Clio diesel and he gets a genuine 60+mpg on it. It’s got a lot more forgiving suspension than mine too. Other alternatives would be civics but from what I’ve read they don’t have great ride quality.

Another alternative is a Saab 9-3 which is definitely more comfortable but they aren’t as great on economy compared to the aforementioned Clio + civic.

But I think I’m going to stick with my car for the foreseeable future. I was just after people’s thoughts.

 

[Hater]

One of the cultural pressures I hate in this country is “you still live at home” being a bad thing. I earn more than enough money to live on my own and I have for the last 2 years previously. However if I can live at home and save money rather than paying rent to someone who already owns more than 1 home. I’m going to do it. And I’m not going to feel like it’s a bad thing for doing it. House prices are insane. My dad could afford a house deposit with 6 months of his net salary at my age in an unskilled job. He had 0 qualifications. And his job was 5 minutes down the road. I am highly educated, earn a lot more than the majority of people my age (and people in the age range above) and it would take around 15 months of my net salary to begin to get a deposit on a reasonable house in this area.

So, back to you saying I STILL live at home like that’s deplorable. You’re damn right I am because I’m not going to ***** away a large portion of my take home to someone who already has at least 2 properties. And taking an extra month or two of saving to toy with the idea of driving a more comfortable car for the 3 hours a day I will be spending in it for probably 2 years.

But yeah that’s a completely dumb idea.

/rant

but my aim is to save money for a house

Entitled and all to go along with it.

save money

Gee, I wonder why the stigma exists?